


Stolen Laugh

by GeekyGlasses



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, F/F, Falling In Love, Fantasy, Flowers, Fluff, Royalty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-15 12:35:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29189409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GeekyGlasses/pseuds/GeekyGlasses
Summary: Princess Josephine doesn't smile. She doesn't laugh either. In an effort to marry her off and somehow make her laugh, her father decides that any young suitor who can make her laugh will marry her. So who is the one that ends up stealing a smile? Or a laugh?
Relationships: Original Female Character/Original Female Character
Kudos: 6





	Stolen Laugh

**Author's Note:**

> HELLO GUYS
> 
> This was the first original story that I ever actually managed to finish, so I figured it was time to post it somewhere! 
> 
> I hope you enjoy! :D

  
**_HEAR YE HEAR YE_ **

**_THE KING HAS DECREED THAT THE PRINCESS JOSEPHINE IS OF AGE TO WED. LET ANYONE TRY TO WIN HER HAND. TO WIN HER HAND, ONE MUST MAKE THE PRINCESS SMILE, LAUGH, GIGGLE, OR OTHER. ONLY THEN WILL THE TWO BE WED._ **

  
This was the proclamation posted around the kingdom. It had only been up for merely a week and dozens of suitors had already tried their hand at making the princess laugh, and many more were lined up to try their best jokes, dances, skits, and any other ways they thought to win her hand. But the princess simply sat and watched, her mouth a thin line during every act. No one had ever known the princess to act happy once. She was always sad. Her father watched sadly as she sighed and placed her chin on her hand as a young man was finishing his act. She gave no response. The man was sent away with a wave, and she stood up and retreated to her room. She never wanted this whole test to win her hand. She wanted to become close with someone, get to know them, fall for them based on their personality, the way they treated the world. But instead, she was stuck with this.

She went out onto her balcony overlooking the garden and sat down closing her eyes. She didn't notice that there was a young woman down in the garden, picking flowers. This particular garden was open to everyone, but only the royal family could pick the flowers. It was their garden after all. This made the young woman a thief, but no one noticed this one girl among the flowers picking roses and carnations and lilies and many others to sell on the streets. She stood up to shield her eyes from the sun and caught sight of the princess sitting on her balcony. She frowned at the expression on the princess's face. Looking around to check that no one was watching, because even if it was for a reason she would feel silly for starting to dance wildly, she tried to get her attention. Not wanting to actually call out, she danced as crazily as she could whenever it seemed the princess looked in her direction. She continued long after the garden was empty, trying her hardest to get the princess to notice her. Finally seeing that she was getting nowhere, she stopped and picked a few more flowers. She left on a mission, determined to get the princess to laugh.

•••

The princess noticed her on her third day of doing quirky, silly things. She had stepped out onto her balcony to see someone dancing around in the garden. They had stopped, a relieved look on their face, before they started up their act again. The princess didn't know why she was doing this; she obviously hadn't seen the notice posted around town or she would be trying to make her laugh in the castle, surrounded by a crowd. This continued for the next few days. She acted out skits, acted like wild animals, even brought in some frogs, which got loose and made her chase them around the garden so they didn't accidentally destroy any flowers. The princess’s mouth twitched slightly as she watched her chase the frogs, but nothing else happened. She did enjoy the skits, even though she couldn't hear what the girl was saying from on her balcony. But what she couldn't understand was why this girl had taken interest. Why did she decide to try and make her laugh?

•••

The thief had been doing some of the same skits and tricks for a few months, and they were starting to bore her along with the princess. She decided to give away flowers in exchange for jokes instead of money, and by the end of the week she could have written a whole book. The only problem: they couldn't hear each other. The balcony was simply too far off of the ground. Even though the wall was smooth and didn't have any grooves or ledges to grab onto, she tried to scale the wall (which made the princess’s mouth twitch a bit more). She ended up not coming for a few days as she brainstormed on how to get closer so the princess could hear her, and the princess was disappointed. She came out onto the balcony expecting her to be there, but the garden was completely empty that day, and the next, and the next, and the next. She was starting to lose hope of the girl coming back since, though she wouldn't admit it, the princess had grown fond of the thief. She finally showed up again, and had a rope wrapped around her shoulder and pulling a small cart that carried several boxes. She made several trips in and out of the garden, bringing in more boxes and crates until she came back without the cart. She started pushing the larger boxes against the wall, and then got slightly smaller ones to stack on top, making what looked like some kind of staircase. Once it was completed, she climbed up, rope in hand. She reached just below the railing, and the princess was leaning over the side to watch her. She looked up and grinned before handing her one end of the rope.

“D’you think you can tie this onto the railing for me?” 

The princess flinched at finally hearing her voice, but nodded and grabbed the end and tied it around the railing next to the wall while the thief started deconstructing her stairs. Once at the bottom, she grabbed ahold of the rope and started pulling herself up, using the wall to help her. When she reached the top, she stuck her feet underneath the railing and held onto the top. 

“Hi there.” She greeted, grinning.

“Hello.” The princess replied slowly. The thief shifted her hold and held her hand out.

“I'm Amelia. What's your name?”

The princess shook her hand almost daintily as she answered “Josephine.”

“Nice to meet you, Josie. Can I call you Josie?”

“I.. I suppose.”

“Alright.” She grinned. “So Josie, why have I never seen you smile? Not even once?”

Josie pulled over a seat and sat down. “I don't think I've ever really laughed or smiled ever.” 

Amelia's mouth hung open. “Are you serious? Well then, it's a good thing I have decided that it is my duty to make you laugh.”

That in itself almost made Josie laugh, but it would've been sad and soft. 

“People have tried for years to make me laugh. Jesters from around the kingdom have tried to make me laugh. I'm sure I've heard every joke in the world.”

“Then that just makes my mission very important. I, Amelia, hereby declare that one day, I will get Josie to laugh!”

•••

Amelia continued climbing the rope and telling her jokes for months. Almost a year and a half had passed of learning new jokes and telling them to her, just to see Josie stare blankly back. Like she had said, she knew most of the jokes and stories Amelia told. Whenever she asked Josie a question and she answered correctly, Amelia would pout for two seconds before moving onto the next joke. Each small, quick pout made Josie feel something in her chest, but she didn't know how to describe it. She may not have smiled, but she was happy. She never really had any friends her age, many were ladies in waiting that simply followed her around. She was practically starving for a companion. She heard the familiar thuds along the wall and stepped out onto the balcony to watch Amelia climb up. Several times she had invited her to sit on the balcony with her, but Amelia replied that she much rather preferred leaning against the railing. This particular day she had two flower crowns on her head. Settling into her usual position she reached on top of her head and grabbed one of the flower crowns and placed it on Josie's head.

“These took me FOREVER to do, but I figured I should make you one. I've already made dozens over the years from the flowers in the garden. Speaking of flowers, what did the old flower say to the younger flower?”

“I don't know. What did the old flower say to the younger flower?” She asked, adjusting the flower crown on her head.

“ _What's up, bud?_ ” Amelia answered, grinning and laughing. Even if Josie didn't laugh, Amelia herself always cracked up at the corniest jokes and stories. Josie had decided a while ago that she quite liked Amelia's laugh. It bubbled up from inside her, lighting up her face and making small dimples appear. If you looked closely, Josie would get a fond look on her face whenever this happens.

•••

Two years had since passed from the first encounter between the two. Josie still had to go sit in front of jesters and knights and other noblemen as they tried to make her laugh. She hated every second of it. So it was very relieving that each day Amelia was there, to tell her jokes and stories. They never made her laugh, but they always cheered her up a bit. She would never admit it out loud, but seeing Amelia was always her favorite part of the day. Amelia had started to incorporate flowers into her jokes, pulling them out of her pockets to add to the joke. She had made a few more flower crowns, and Josie had arranged them on her vanity. Occasionally, she wore one when she had to sit in front of everyone. It was a way for Amelia to still be there while she actually wasn't. Amelia's jokes were steadily getting more corny and punny. Josie finally gave in with a small smile, but Amelia was still determined to get a laugh from her. Everyday she rehearsed which jokes she could tell, hoping that one of them would work. She just wanted to see her friend be happy.

•••

“Ok, ok. How about this one. Why do watermelons have to get married?”

“I don't know.”

“Because they _can't-elope_.” Amelia giggled out.

Josie sighed. “You only know that word because of me.”

Amelia shrugged. “Hey, I've been trying to get you to laugh for three years. I'm going to try whatever I can.”

Josie simply gave her a small smile. She still didn't understand why Amelia was trying to make her laugh. Why did she care so much? 

“Alright, well I have one last joke for you. Are you ready?”

“Sure. Let's get it over with.”

“Alright.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a flower, a red carnation. She waved it around as she talked.

“What do you call a princess who got swept up in a conversation with a thief?” She asked, leaning forward on the railing and holding the flower out.

Josie glanced down at the flower before looking back up at the waiting Amelia. She sighed and leaned back slightly to prevent the petals from accidentally blowing up her nose.

“I don't know.”

Amelia leaned forward, slowly moving the flower under Josie's nose to tickle her.

“A pretty theft!”

Josie froze. She looked down at the flower and then back up at Amelia. She didn't know how it happened. _But she laughed_. Sure, she had been called graceful by her etiquette teachers, intelligent by all of her tutors, and her own mother had called her beautiful. But she had never been called _pretty_. It was almost silly how a simple compliment made her bust out into laughter. Amelia just stared in awe as Josie laughed. The laugh wasn't a quiet, simple laugh. It bellowed out loud, with the occasional snort and wheeze. Her head was tossed back while her hand covered her mouth to try and quiet her laughs. Her eyes were squeezed shut. And as she laughed, Amelia realized:

 _Josie was beautiful_.

Her grip on the flower loosened and a blush spread across her face. She gripped the edge of the railing tighter and brought the flower down as she watched Josie laugh. Her smile and laugh seemed to complete her whole appearance. Her brown hair shined and her eyes twinkled, while her smile was the brightest thing Amelia had ever seen. Josie finally caught her breath and looked at Amelia with her own blush spreading. They both were still, looking at each other with smiles on their faces. Suddenly, Josie's bedroom door opened and a maid came running in. She had heard the laugh and started running immediately to see what had happened. What she saw was two girls on a balcony, looking at each other with the most loving looks she had ever seen. Smiling to herself, she turned to fetch the king. A wedding was in order.

•••

The wedding was beautiful, and the king was happy his daughter found someone to be happy with. Both brides wore brand new flower crowns of alstroemerias, made by Amelia. More flowers decorated the scene, most being red carnations, a reminder of how that day came to be. Everyone in the castle was overjoyed to see the princess smile, and she was happy to have first laughed with her wife. 

**Author's Note:**

> Hint hint:
> 
> All the flowers mentioned have a specific meaning that I chose especially for the two girls ;)


End file.
